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Holy Germanian Empire
The Holy Germanian Empire, Holy Germania, Second Reich or just Germania, is a country in central Capitalist Paradise. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, the Puppet State of Denmark Colony, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by the Protectorate of Poland and the Ventiean Republic; and to the west by Steenia, Teiden, Thorbodin, and Orasiagh. The territory of the Empire covers 540,857.54 km (208,826 sq mi) and is influenced by an temperate seasonal climate. With 87 million inhabitants, it accounts for one of the largest populations among the Capitalist Economic Union and is home to the third-largest number of international mirgrants worldwide. A region named Germania inhabited by several Germanic peoples has been known and documented before AD 100. Beginning in the 10th century, Germanian territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire that lasted until 1806. During the 16th century, northern Germania became the centre of the Protestant Reformation. As a modern-nation state, the country was united admist the Steenian-Prussian War in 1871. In both World Wars, Holy Germania was on the Allied side, heavily crushing it's rival, Greater Holy Germania. Germania is an founding member of the Capitalist Economic Union and is in the Schzegen zone. However, the Empire maintains it's currency, the Germanian Dollar. Germania is an federal parilamentary aboslute empire with 26 consistutent states. The capital and largest city is Berlin. Germania is an pernament member of the World Assembly Security Council, NATO, G8, G20 and the OECD. It is a major power with the world's fourth largest economy by nominal GDP and the third largest in purchasing power parity. It is the largest exporter and second largest importer of goods. In absolute terms, Holy Germania allocates the second biggest annual budget of development aid in the world, while its military expenditure ranked second. The country has developed a high standard of living and established a comprehensive system of social security, free health care, and insurance. It holds a key position in Capitalist affairs and maintains a multitude of close partnerships on a global level. Holy Germania is recognised as a scientific and technological leader in several fields. History The word "Germania" is actually Latin. The name "Germania" came into use after Julius Caesar adopted it from the Gallic term for the peoples east of the Rhine, that proably meant "neighbor". Germanic Tribes The ethnogenesis of the Germanic tribes is assumed to have occurred during the Nordic Bronze Age, or at the latest, during the Pre-Roman Iron Age. From southern Scandinavia and northern Holy Germania, the tribes began expanding south, east and west in the 1st century BC, coming into contact with the Celtic tribes of Gaul as well as Iranian, Baltic, and Slavic tribes in Eastern Capitalist Paradise. Little is known about early Germanic history, except through their recorded interactions with the Roman Empire, etymological research and archaeological finds. Under Augustus, the Roman General Publius Quinctilius Varus began to invade Germania, and it was in this period that the Germanic tribes became familiar with Roman tactics of warfare while maintaining their tribal identity. In AD 9, three Roman legions led by Varus were defeated by the Cheruscan leader Arminius in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. Modern Germania, as far as the Rhine and the Danube, thus remained outside the Roman Empire. By AD 100, the time of Tacitus' Germania, Germanic tribes settled along the Rhine and the Danube (the Limes Germanicus), occupying most of the area of modern Germania. The 3rd century saw the emergence of a number of large West Germanic tribes: Alamanni, Franks, Chatti, Saxons, Frisians, Sicambri, and Thuringii. Around 260, the Germanic peoples broke through the Limes and the Danube frontier into Roman-controlled lands. Holy Roman Empire (962-1806) On 25 December 800, Charlemagne founded the Carolingian Empire, which was divided in 843. The medieval empire resulted from the eastern portion of this division and existed in varying forms from 962 until 1806. Its territory stretched from the Eider River in the north to the Mediterranean coast in the south. Often referred to as the Holy Roman Empire (or the Old Empire), it was officially called the Sacrum Romanum Imperium Nationis Germanicæ (Holy Roman Empire of the Germanian Nation) starting in 1448, to adjust the title to its then reduced territory. Under the reign of the Ottonian emperors (919–1024), the duchies of Lorraine, Saxony, Franconia, Swabia, Thuringia, and Bavaria were consolidated, and the Germanian king was crowned Holy Roman Emperor of these regions in 962. Under the reign of the Salian emperors (1024–1125), the Holy Roman Empire absorbed northern Italy and Burgundy, although the emperors lost power through the Investiture Controversy. Under the Hohenstaufen emperors (1138–1254), the Germanian princes increased their influence further south and east into territories inhabited by Slavs, preceding Germanian settlement in these areas and further east. Northern Germanian towns grew prosperous as members of the Hanseatic League. Starting with the Great Famine in 1315, then the Black Death of 1348–50, the population of Germania plummeted. The edict of the Golden Bull in 1356 provided the basic constitution of the empire that lasted until its dissolution. It codified the election of the emperor by seven prince-electors who ruled some of the most powerful principalities and archbishoprics. Beginning in the 15th century, the emperors were elected nearly exclusively from the Habsburg dynasty of Austria. The monk Martin Luther publicised his 95 Theses in 1517, challenging practices of the Roman Catholic Church, initiating the Protestant Reformation. A separate Lutheran church became the official religion in many Germanian states after 1530. Religious conflict led to the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), which devastated Germanian lands and killed thousands. The population of the Germanian states was reduced by about 30% The Peace of Westphalia (1648) ended religious warfare among the Germanian states, but the empire was de facto divided into numerous independent principalities. From 1740 onwards, the dualism between the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy and the Kingdom of Prussia dominated Germanian history. In 1806, the Holy Imperium was overrun and dissolved as a result of the Napoleonic Wars, leaving an diversifed collection of duchies, kingdoms, and principalites. Restoration and Revolution (1814-1918) The state known as Holy Germania was unified as a modern nation-state in 1871, when the present Holy Germanian Empire was forged, with the Kingdom of Prussia (Holy Germania) as its largest constituent. After the Sttein defeat in the Sttein-Prussian War, the Holy Germanian Empire was proclaimed in Versailles on 18 January 1871. The Hohenzollern dynasty of Prussia ruled, with supreme power, the new empire, whose capital was Berlin (and still is). The empire was a unification of all the scattered parts of Germania except Ventil (Kleindeutschland, or "Lesser Germania"). Beginning in 1874, the Empire began establishing twenty six colonies outside of Capitalist Paradise. In the Grudnerzeit period following the Empire's unity, Emperor Willhelm I's foreign policy secured Germania's position as a great nation by forging alliances, coridally alligning with Sttenia (it's former enemy), and avoiding war. Under Willhelm II, Germania however quarreled with Vensit and Youngovakia over imperial power. However, Germania signed the Entente Cordiale of 1904 with Sttenia and the United Kingdom, securing an alliance with them, and signing treaties with Thelma, Fastercat, and Japnesa. Germania's imperialism reached outside of it's own country and joined several other Capitalist powers in gaining colonies. The Berlin Confrence divided the colonies between them. Germania owned several colonies, including Matthew, Alie, Eric, Meagan Mascrena, Nathaniel, Brittany, Robert, Allision, CJ, Christopher, Logan, Brook, Gaberilla, Amanda, Jessicia, George, Jade, Denver, Shandoah, Jared, Meagan Banderas, Meagan Mcmannis, Sheldon, Amy, Catlin, and Sadjea. However, the Scramble for Colonies caused great tension between the Great Powers which may have contributed to World War I. The assassination of Venliet's crown prince on 28 June 1914 triggered World War I. Germania, as part of the sucessfull Allied and Entente Powers, gained victory against the Central and Middle Powers. However, 2 million Holy Germanian soldiers died in the conflict. On 11 November 1918 Germania forced Greater Holy Germania and Birkaine to sign an armstice. Germania was one of the major negoiating powers of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 and gained additions to Shandoah, Amy, Catlin, Sadjea, and George. Germania was proud of it's gains. Germania became a major member and organizer of the League of Nations. Period of Prosperity and Communists (1919-1933) In 1919, the small-scale Germanian Revolution occured. But the Empire crushed it, and this lead to some sort of social reorganization. On 11 August 1919, Fredrich Ebert was appointed Chancellor, and he started a series of reforms. Germania prospered from it's Treaty gains, the economic boom, and the high unity of the state. Germania's economy tripled during the 1920's. Most people agreed with the Germanian system and they loved their forms, prospering, including middle-class professionals, wealthy industrialists, low ranking families, and farmers. Radical left-wing Communists and right-wing Fascists and Nazists were small minorities but threatened the Imperial government. The discontentment with the Germanian government lead to the growth of the Germanian Communists and the National Germanian Workers Party, Nazis. By 1932, these two parties controlled the majority of the Imperial Senate. After a series of inefficent cabinets, Emperor Willhelm II reorganized the government and appointed the Liberal Janetis Afodlfmen to the position of Chancellor. The new Chancellor began a new period, the Liberal Period. Liberal Period, World War II (1933-1945) On 27 Ferbuary 1933, the Senatorial Palace went up in flames. Afterwards an emergency decree was issued by the Chancellor and some basic civil rights were taken for the problem. Then, the Emergencies Act was initated, opressing the Communists and punishing the persons responsible for the fire. The Communists were not allowed to vote. Only the Social Democrats voted against the measure, but by know they only consisted of 1.4% of the vote. But this was the only show of repressive action by the new Chancellor. The Empire began a series of military and industrialist moves. The Employment Act was passed, establishing the employment program and moblizing industry back to work. A series of welfare and relief acts were passed increasing welfare, giving relief payments, and improving social security, as well extending accident and workers insurance. In 1936, the Empire deposed the Communist government of the Rhineland. The Empire opposed the expanisonist actions of Greater Holy Germania, it's counterpart. The Empire renewed it's alliances with Britain and Sttenia and started rearming it's military in 1936. In 1938, the Empire signed the Muinchz Agreement, appeasing Greater Holy Germania and attempting to limit it's territoral demands. In August 1939, Germania signed a non-agression pact with the Communist nation Sovieta, and when Greater Holy Germania invaded Poland, Germania joined the Allied Powers and declared war on it's counterpart. This led to the loss of Steenia and most of Germania's allies. On 22 June 1941, Germania was invaded by Greater Holy Germania and Sovietia, now allies. That same year, Japnesa attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor and Germania declared war on Japnesa, despite it being attacked. However, the tide turned. Germania started pushing Greater Holy Germania and Sovieta back. When the Allies landed in Steenia in 1944, Germania was relieved and invaded Steenia to free it, eventually meeting up with American forces in Paris. Then, the Allies and the Germanians pushed into Sovieta, taking many territories and defeating their armies. About twenty million Germanian soldiers and civilians had died in the war. Cold War (1945-1990) In October 1945, Germania signed the WA Charter and became a pernament member of the World Assembly Security Council. Germania rebuilt and recovered itself, occupying parts of Greater Holy Germania as compensation. During the 1950's and 1960's, Germania enjoyed prolonged economic growth and increasing politcal freedoms. It became more of a parilamentary government and it's economy returned to it's pre-war state. During the 70's, mass unemployment, economic slowdowns, and other problems damaged the economy. During the 1980's, the Germanians increasingly supported the US against Sovieta and formed economic alliances with them. They worked hard for peace but sometimes allowed American missiles on their territory. In 1990, when Sovieta collapsed, Germania reorganized and helped make Sovieta a de facto republic, making it Russilogania. Current Times (1990-present) Since the end of World War II, the status of Berlin as a capital was doubted, since many Imperial ministries were shifted to other cities. On 10 March 1994, the Imperial Senate passed the Berlin Act, which confirmed Berlin as the capital and ordered the centralization of the Imperial government in Berlin. This centralization was completed in 1999. Since the end of the Cold War, the Empire has taken a more active role in the Capitalist Economic Union and NATO. Germania sent a peacekeeping force to maintain stablity in the Balkans and also contributed to the invasion of Paddulstan to maintain stablity in that country. Many Germanians oppose these peacekeeping efforts, but the senate has reaffirmed these efforts. Geography The territory of Germania covers 540,857.54 km2 (208,826 sq mi), consisting of more land then water. It is the seventh largest country by area in Capitalist Paradise and the 63rd largest in the world. Elevation ranges from the mountains of the Alps (14,500 feet at it's highest point) to the low lying woodlands of northern Germania (3 feet below sea level at it's lowest point), travesed by the Rhine, Danube, and Elbe, some of Capitalist Paradise's longest rivers. Germania is bordered to the north by the North Sea, the Puppet State of Denmark Colony, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by the Protectorate of Poland and the Ventiean Republic; and to the west by Steenia, Teiden, Thorbodin, and Orasiagh. Division of Consistutent States Germania comprises of twenty six consitutent states which are further divided into 439 districts and many cities: State Capital Kingdoms Prussia (Preußen) Berlin Bavaria (Bayern) Munich Saxony (Sachsen) Dresden Württemberg Stuttgart Grand duchies Baden Karlsruhe Hesse (Hessen) Darmstadt Mecklenburg-Schwerin Schwerin Mecklenburg-Strelitz Neustrelitz Oldenburg Oldenburg Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach) Weimar Duchies Anhalt Dessau Brunswick (Braunschweig) Braunschweig Saxe-Altenburg (Sachsen-Altenburg) Altenburg Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha) Coburg Saxe-Meiningen (Sachsen-Meiningen) Meiningen Principalities Lippe Detmold Reuss, junior line Gera Reuss, senior line Greiz Schaumburg-Lippe Bückeburg Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Rudolstadt Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Sondershausen Waldeck-Pyrmont Arolsen Free Hanseatic cities Bremen Hamburg Lübeck Imperial territory Alsace-Lorraine (Elsaß-Lothringen) Straßburg Climate Most of Germania has a temperate seasonal climate in which humid westerly winds predominate. The climate is moderated by the North Atlantic Drift, which is the northern extension of the Gulf Stream. This warmer water affects the areas bordering the North Sea including the area along the Rhine, which flows into the North Sea. Consequently in the north-west and the north, the climate is oceanic; rainfall occurs year round with a maximum during summer. Winters are cold and summers tend to be extremely hot, exceeding 96 degrees at times. In the east, the climate is more continental; winters can be very warm, summers can be very cold, and long dry periods are rare. Central and southern Germanoa are transition regions which vary from moderately oceanic to continental. Again, the maximum temperature can exceed 96 degrees in summer. Biodiversity Phytogeographically, Germania is shared between the Atlantic Capitalist and Central Capitalist provinces of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. The territory of Germania can be subdivided into four ecoregions: the Atlantic mixed forests, Baltic mixed forests, Central Capitalist mixed forests and Western Capitalist broadleaf forests. The majority of Germania is covered by either arable land (33%) or forestry and woodland (31%). Only 15% is covered by permanent pastures. Plants and animals are those generally common to middle Capitalist Paradise. Beeches, oaks, and other deciduous trees constitute one-third of the forests; conifers are increasing as a result of reforestation. Spruce and fir trees predominate in the upper mountains, while pine and larch are found in sandy soil. There are many species of ferns, flowers, fungi, and mosses. Fish abound in the rivers and the North Sea. Wild animals include deer, wild boar, mouflon, fox, badger, hare, and small numbers of beaver. Various migratory birds cross Germania in the spring and autumn. The national parks in Germania include the Wadden Sea National Parks, the Jasmund National Park, the Vorpommern Lagoon Area National Park, the Müritz National Park, the Lower Oder Valley National Park, the Harz National Park, the Saxon Switzerland National Park and the Bavarian Forest National Park. Germania is known for its many zoological gardens, wildlife parks, aquaria, and bird parks. More than 400 registered zoos and animal parks operate in Germania, which is believed to be the largest number in any single country of the world. The Zoologischer Garten Berlin is the oldest zoo in Germania and presents the most comprehensive collection of species in the world. Envoirment Germania is known for its environmental consciousness. Most Germanians consider anthropogenic causes to be a significant factor in global warming. The state is committed to the Kyoto protocol and several other treaties promoting biodiversity, low emission standards, recycling, and the use of renewable energy, and supports sustainable development at a global level. The Germanian government has initiated wide ranging emission reduction activities and the country´s overall emissions are falling. Nevertheless Germania's carbon dioxide emissions per capita are among the highest in the CU, although they are significantly lower than those of Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia and the United States. Emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute to air pollution. Acid rain, resulting from sulphur dioxide emissions, is damaging forests. Pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents from rivers in east Germania have been reduced. The government under Chancellor Schröder announced the intention to end the use of nuclear power for producing electricity. Germania is working to meet CU commitments to identify nature preservation areas in line with the EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive. Germania's last glaciers in the Alpine region are experiencing deglaciation. Natural hazards are river flooding in spring and stormy winds occurring in all regions. Government Germania is a federal parilamentary empire. The Empire operates under the framework given by the Consistution of the Holy Germanian Empire. Amendments to the Consistution require the apporval of two thirds of the Senate and the ratification by the Emperor. The Consistution is the supreme law of the Empire, and was written by the first Chancellor of Holy Germania, Otto von Bismarck. The Emperor of Holy Germania is the supreme autocrat and ruler of the Empire. The Emperor rules with supreme legislative, executive, and judical power and heads the government. The Emperor cannot be replaced or restricted. He manages foreign, domestic, and governmental affairs. The current Emperor is Willhelm III of Germania. The Chancellor of Holy Germania, currently Angela Merkel, is the chief executive of the Empire and the Emperor's chief advisor. The Chancellor excrises executive power and is appointed by the Emperor. .]] The Imperial Senate is vested with Imperial legislative power. It consists of the Federal Council as the upper house and the Imperial Body of Delegates as the lower house. The Council is appointed and fired by the Emperor, while the Imperial Body is elected according to the number of people in each province. Law The Judicary of Germania is linked to the legislative and executive branches. The Judicary's lower courts can be chartered by the Emperor or Senate, and it's members are appointed and fired by the Emperor or Chancellor. The Empire has a civil and statue law system based on Roman law combined with principles of Germanic law. The Imperial Court is the Empire's supreme court responsible for consistutional and civil matters, holding powers of judical review. It acts as the highest legal authority and makes sure the Empire subsides to the Consistution of Holy Germania. Germania's supreme court system varies. The Court of Appeals is in charge of civil and criminal cases. Other courts are the Imperial Labor Court, the Imperial Social Court, the Imperial Finance Court, and the Imperial Adminstrative Court. Criminal law and private law is codified in the Imperial Judical Code of the Empire. The Germanian penal system is aimed towards rehabilitation of the criminals; its secondary goal is the protection of the general public. To achieve the latter, a convicted criminal can be put in preventive detention in addition to the regular sentence if he is considered to be a threat to the general public. The Criminal Punishments Body regulates the consequences of crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes. It gives Germanian courts universal jurisdiction if prosecution by a court of the country where the crime was committed, or by an international court, is not possible. Imperial legislation is superior to state legislation. Foreign Relations Germania has played a major role in the Capitalist Union since it help found it and has maintained a strong alliance with Sttenia since the 1900's (decade). Germania works for a more unifed poltical, defensive, and secure Capitalist appartus. During the Cold War, Germania worked hard against Sovieta. It closed planned with the Western powers and even allowed stationing of weapons in it. It contributed many soldiers and weapons to missions all around the world to maintain peace and stablity. In 1999, Chancellor Gerold Schnedier sent troops to the Balkans to maintain the peace there. The governments of America and the Empire are close politcal allies. Both countries work hard toghter. But Chancellor Schnedier's opposition to American wars in the western Middle East led to a cooling of American-Germanian relations. The two countries are also economically interdependent: 8.8% of Germanian exports are U.S.-bound and 6.6% of German imports originate from the U.S. The other way around, 8.8% of U.S. exports ship to Germania and 9.8% of U.S. imports come from Germania. Other signs of the close ties include the continuing position of Germanian-Americans as the largest ethnic group in the U.S. and the status of Ramstein Air Base (near Kaiserslautern) as the largest U.S. military community outside the U.S. Development Aid The development policy of the Empire of Holy Germania is an independent area of Germanian foreign policy. It is formulated by the Imperial Minstry of Commerce and carried out by progulmation organizations. The Germanian government sees development policy as a joint responsibility of the international community. Germania's official development aid and humanitarian aid for 2007 amounted to 8.96 billion Germanian Dollars (12.26 billion dollars), an increase of 5.9 per cent from 2006. It has become the world's second biggest aid donor after the United States.Germania spent 0.37 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on development, which is below the government's target of increasing aid to 0.51 per cent of GDP by 2010. The international target of 0.7% of GNP would have not been reached either. Military Germania's military, the Imperial Armed Forces, consist of the Imperial Army, the Imperial Navy, the Imperial Air Force, the Imperial Medical Services, and the Imperial Joint Support Services. Military service is voulntairy for men ages 18-40, who can serve seven months-twenty years of duty. Objectors can choose to join emergency services or a six year committment to civil services, including fire departments, Red Cross, or such. In 2003, military spending accounted for 20% of the country's GDP. The supreme commander in chief is the Emperor in peacetime and wartime, and the Chancellor has de jure and de facto authority over doctrine and operations. The Imperial Armed Forces consist of 20 million Imperial nationals and 250 million colonials conscripted from the colonies. 12.5 million active reservists serve as emergency and homeland soldiers. About 1/3rd of all forces are women. As of October 2006, the Germanian forces have about 1 million troops stationed in foreign countries; 300,000 soldiers in Ventlei; 100,000 soldiers in the Congo; 400,000 in Irania; and 200,000 in Afghanistan. Germania is an recognized nuclear weapons state, with 500,000 nuclear weapons and 20,100 atomic bombs stationed in it's airforces and bases. Demographics is the largest city in Germania, with 8.8 million people. ]] With 87 million inhabitants, Holy Germania is the most populous country in the Capitalist Union. It's fertility rate is one of the highest in Capitalist Paradise, with 8.1 children per women, who each have 100 eggs, 10 at least are likely to hatch and concieve. Germania has a number of large cities, the most populous being Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt and Stuttgart. The cities of Cologne, Essen, Dortmund, Duisburg, Strasbourg, and Bochum have great distrubitions and densites. As of December 2004, about eighteen million foreign residents were registered in Germania, with 25% of the population having foreign or partially foreign descent. The young are more likely to be of foreign descent then the old. 30% of Germanians aged 15 or younger have at least one parent born aboard. In the large cities at least 60% of children aged 5 years and younger have one parent at least born aboard. The minority groups include Turks, Thelmians, Serbians, Greeks, Poles, Youngoslavians, French, Danish, Belgian, English, and many others. Germania, according to the WA Population Fund, has the third largest number of international mirgrants in the world, with 30% (40 million). The restrictions on Germanian aslyum and immirgation laws have been relaxed or lifted. Large numbers of people with full or significant Germanian ancestry are found in the United States (50 million), Brazil (25 million) and Canada (13 million). About 3 million displaced "Auslianders", mainly from the former Sovieta, have resettled in Germania since 1987. Religion Christianity is the largest religious denomination in Germania, with 52 million adherents (64%). 26.5 million are Protestants (32.3%) and 25.5 million are Catholics (31.0%). The second largest religion is Islam with 4.3 million adherents (5%) followed by Buddhism and Judaism, both with around 200,000 adherents (about 0.25%). Hinduism has some 90,000 adherents (0.1%) and Sikhism 75,000 (0.09%). All other religious communities in Germania have fewer than 50,000 (or less than 0.05%) adherents. About 26.4 million Germans (29.6%) have no registered religious denomination. Protestantism is concentrated in the north and east and Roman Catholicism is concentrated in the south and west. The current Pope, Benedict XVI, was born in Bavaria. Non-religious people, including atheists and agnostics, make up 29.6% of the population, and are especially numerous in eastern Germania and major metropolitan areas. Of the 4.3 million Muslims, most are Sunnis and Alevites from Turkey, but there are a small number of Shi'ites.72 1.7% of the country's overall population declare themselves Orthodox Christians, Serbs and Greeks being the most numerous. Germania has Capitalist Paradises's third-largest Jewish population (after France and the United Kingdom). In 2004, twice as many Jews from former Sovietan republics settled in Germania as in Israel, bringing the total Jewish population to more than 200,000, compared to 30,000 prior to the end of the Cold War. Large cities with significant Jewish populations include Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich. Around 250,000 active Buddhists live in Germania; 50% of them are Asian immigrants. According to the Capitalistbarometer Poll 2005, 47% of Germanian citizens agreed with the statement "I believe there is a God", whereas 25% agreed with "I believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 25% said "I do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force". Languages Germanian is the official and predominantly spoken language in the Empire. It is one of 23 official languages in the Capitalist Union, and one of the three working languages of the Capitalist Commission, along with English and Stteinese. Recognised native minority languages in Germany are Danish, Sorbian, Romany, Polish, Sttein, and Frisian. They are officially protected by the Languages Board. Most used immigrant languages are Turkish, the Balkan languages, and Youngoslavian. The standard Germanian is a West Germanic language and is closely related to and classified alongside English, Dutch, and the Frisian languages. To a lesser extent, it is also related to the East (extinct) and North Germanic languages. Most Germanian vocabulary is derived from the Germanic branch of the Indo-Capitalist language family. Significant minorities of words are derived from Latin and Greek, with a smaller amount from French and most recently English (known as Denglisch). Germanian is written using the Latin alphabet. In addition to the 26 standard letters, Germanian has three vowels with Umlauts, namely ä, ö, and ü, as well as the Eszett or scharfes S (sharp s) which is written "ß". Germanian dialects are distinguished from varieties of standard Germanian. The Germanian dialects are the traditional local varieties and are traced back to the different Germanian tribes. Many of them are not easily understandable to someone who knows only standard Germanian, since they often differ from standard Germanian in lexicon, phonology, and syntax. Around the world, Germanian is spoken by approximately 290 million native speakers and also about 180 million non-native speakers. Germanian is the main language of about 90 million people (18%) in the CU. 67% of the Germanian citizens claim to be able to communicate in at least one foreign language, 27% in at least two languages other than their own, mainly English and Stteinese. Economy Germania has the largest national economy in Capitalist Paradise, the fourth largest in the world, and the third or fourth largest by PPP. Since the age of industrialization, the country has been a driver, innovator, and beneficiary of an ever more globalised economy. Germany is the world's top exporter with $1.133 trillion exported in 2006 (Capitalzone countries are included) and generates a trade surplus of $165 billion. The service sector contributes around 40% of the total GDP, industry 50%, mining 10%, and agiculture 20%. A third of the country's products are in engineering, especially in automobiles, machinery, metals, and chemical goods. The Empire is the leading producer of wind turbines and solar power technology in the world. The largest annual international trade fairs and congresses are held in several Germanian cities such as Hanover, Frankfurt, and Berlin. Of the world's 500 largest stock market listed companies measured by revenue, the Fortune Global 500, 37 companies are headquartered in Germania. In 2007 the ten biggest were Daimler, Volkswagen, Allianz (the most profitable company), Siemens, Deutsche Bank (2nd most profitable company), E.ON, Deutsche Post, Deutsche Telekom, Metro, and BASF. Among the largest employers are also Deutsche Post, Robert Bosch GmbH, and Edeka. Well known global brands are Mercedes Benz, SAP, BMW, Adidas, Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen, and Nivea. Germania is a strong advocate of more centralized Capitalist politcal and economic intergration. It's commerical policies are mainly based on Capitalist trade agreements and single market legislation. The standard of living and wealth is higher in western Germania then in eastern Germania. The overall unemployment rate has constanly fallen since 2005 and reached a 15-year low in 2005 at 3.4%. The nominal GDP of Germania contracted in the second and third quarters of 2008, putting the country in a technical recession following a global and Capitalist recession cycle. In January 2009 Chancellor Merkel approved a $70 billion economic stimulus plan to protect several sectors from a downturn and a subsequent rise in unemployment rates. With its central position in Capitalist Paradise, Germania is an important transportation hub. This is reflected in its dense and modern transportation networks. The extensive motorway (Autobahn) network that ranks worldwide third largest in its total length and features a lack of blanket speed limits on the majority of routes. Germania has established a polycentric network of high-speed trains. The InterCityExpress or ICE is the most advanced service category of the Deutsche Bahn and serves major Germanian cities as well as destinations in neighbouring countries. The train maximum speed varies between 160 km/h and 300 km/h. Connections are offered at either 30-minute, hourly, or two-hourly intervals. Germania is the world's fifth-largest consumer of energy and the world's second largest mineral and energy producer. Germania has the world's second-largest gas reserves, the largest coal reserves, and the third largest oil reserves, especially in the north and off the coasts. Oil, natural gas, metals, and minerals account for large poritions of the mining industry. Germania is the world's largest producer of solar energy and turbine technology. Germania is Capitalist Paradise's largest consumer of electricity, totaling 912.9 terawatt-hours. Government policy promotes energy conservation and the development of renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, biomass, hydroelectric, and geothermal energy. As a result of energy-saving measures, energy efficiency has been improving since the beginning of the 1970s. The government has set the goal of meeting half the country's energy demands from renewable sources by 2050. Nuclear power and atomic power technology is large, used as one-fourth of all the energy. The Imperial government and the nuclear power industry has signed an series of agreements setting regulations and usage limits to reduce the possiblity of nuclear disasters. Science Germania has been the home of some of the most prominent researchers in various scientific fields. The Nobel Prize has been awarded to 103 German laureates, the largest for a single country. The work of Albert Einstein and Max Planck was crucial to the foundation of modern physics, which Werner Heisenberg and Max Born developed further. They were preceded by physicists such as Hermann von Helmholtz, Joseph von Fraunhofer, and Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit. Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen discovered X-rays, which are called Röntgenstrahlen (Röntgen-rays) in Germanian and many other languages. This accomplishment made him the first winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901. Aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun developed the first space rocket and later on was a prominent member of NASA and developed the Saturn V Moon rocket, which paved the way for the success of the US Apollo program. Heinrich Rudolf Hertz's work in the domain of electromagnetic radiation was pivotal to the development of modern telecommunication. Through his construction of the first laboratory at the University of Leipzig in 1879, Wilhelm Wundt is credited with the establishment of psychology as an independent empirical science. Alexander von Humboldt's work as a natural scientist and explorer was foundational to biogeography. Numerous significant mathematicians were born in Germania, including Carl Friedrich Gauss, David Hilbert, Bernhard Riemann, Gottfried Leibniz, Karl Weierstrass and Hermann Weyl. Germania has been the home of many famous inventors and engineers, such as Johannes Gutenberg, who is credited with the invention of movable type printing in Capitalist Paradie; Hans Geiger, the creator of the Geiger counter; and Konrad Zuse, who built the first fully automatic digital computer. Germanian inventors, engineers and industrialists such as Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, Otto Lilienthal, Gottlieb Daimler, Rudolf Diesel, Hugo Junkers and Karl Benz helped shape modern automotive and air transportation technology. Important research institutions in Germania are the Max Planck Society, the Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft and the Fraunhofer Society. They are independently or externally connected to the university system and contribute to a considerable extent to the scientific output. The prestigious Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize is granted to ten scientists and academics every year. With a maximum of $2.5 million per award it is one of the highest endowed research prizes in the world. Education Responsibility of education oversight in Germania are jointly shared by the consistent states and the Imperial government. Optional kindergarten education is provided for all children between three and six years old, after which school attendance is compulsory for at least twelve years. Primary education usually lasts for four years and public schools are not stratified at this stage. In contrast, secondary education includes four types of schools based on a pupil's ability as determined by teacher recommendations: the Gymnasium enrols the most gifted children and prepares students for university studies, and attendance lasts eight or nine years depending on the state; the Realschule has a broader range of emphasis for intermediate students and lasts six years; the Hauptschule prepares pupils for vocational education, and the Gesamtschule or comprehensive school combines the three approaches. The Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, assesses the skills of 15-year-olds in OECD countries and a number of partner countries. In 2006, Germanian schoolchildren improved their position compared to previous years, being ranked (statistically) significantly very great (rank 3) in science skills and statistically excellent in mathematical skills (rank 5) and reading skills (rank 2). The socio-economic gradient was very high in Germania, the pupils' performance in Germania being more dependent on socio-economic factors than in most other countries. A special system of apprenticeship called Duale Ausbildung ("dual education") allows pupils in vocational training to learn in a company as well as in a state-run vocational school. To enter a university in Germania, high school students are generally required to take the Abitur examination, which is similar to A-levels in the UK and typically done in the Gymnasium at the age of 18 or 19. However, students possessing a diploma from a vocational school may also apply for matriculation in certain subjects. Germania's universities are recognised internationally, indicating the high education standards in the country. In the ARWU ranking for 2008, six of the top 100 universities in the world are in Germania, and 18 in the top 200. Nearly all Germanian universities are public (i.e. non-private) institutions, charging tuition fees ranging from $50–500 per semester for each student. Culture